


you and i

by ryukogo



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Injury, Bruises, Delinquent Rurikawa Yuki, Delinquent Sakisaka Muku, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26236702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryukogo/pseuds/ryukogo
Summary: “It doesn’t matter what they do to us. You look out for me, and I look out for you.”It was them against the world. Always had been. Alone in their own world where they protected each other, kept each other safe. Until...One fateful summer’s day, the halls of Mankai Company were graced by a delinquent prince and his right hand man.[au: in which muku and yuki are the kings of st. flora middle school prior to joining mankai. ]
Relationships: Rurikawa Yuki & Summer Troupe, Rurikawa Yuki/Sakisaka Muku, Sakisaka Muku & Summer Troupe
Comments: 16
Kudos: 74





	1. all about us

**Author's Note:**

> probably going to be a twoshot because my brain just died today writing the first part <3
> 
> also slides this forward. you know. for visual reference. https://twitter.com/ryukogo_art/status/1287298893424627714

Muku Sakisaka had always wanted to be a prince.

But this wasn’t the kind of prince he’d believed he’d end up as.

Being the cousin of Juza Hyodo meant that, despite everything his cousin had tried to do in order to deflect the attention from him, he’d drawn the attention of some… well, not necessarily  _ bad  _ people, per say. They were the kind that sought out a fight with people just because of how they looked - and they were the kind of people that picked fights with Juza just because he looked scary.

When they lost to Juza, they’d wanted to turn on Kumon, Juza’s younger brother. But Juza had always been there to viciously fend them off. Kumon had nothing to worry about, for the most part. And then somehow, these people had found out that Muku was related to the Hyodos, and immediately turned their focus on him instead.

Muku was by no means weak. Having wanted to be like the protagonist from one of his favorite shoujo mangas, he’d trained hard every day aiming to be just like him - a track and field ace. When those people had caught wind of such information on top of him being related to Juza, however… the assumption that he’d be able to hold his own stuck.

He did hold his own, for the most part. He could run. Fights were easily avoided whenever he was able to run away from them - until there came a time where he couldn’t just sidestep and sprint away from his problems.

They’d socked him in the jaw once after cornering him during dismissal. In response, he’d balled up his fist and clocked them in the nose - and since it was technically on school grounds still, he’d gotten sent to the principal’s office for it. He’d gotten off on the grounds of ‘self defense’, but had been warned never to do it again, or he’d be in much deeper trouble. Muku had promised to try his best.

And at his best he did try - but after having gotten humiliated by a single punch to the nose, they’d all gone for another round at him. And another. And another. Muku’s golden afternoons were spent trying to hide and run from bullies who wanted to get a proper fight with him. Sometimes they’d catch him, sometimes they wouldn’t. Either way, it ended in someone who got hurt. More than half the time, it was Muku.

* * *

**_Muku, what happened to you?!_ **

_ Ah… I just got kind of roughed up at practice today, it’s okay…! _

**_Are you sure?! I’ll get you some ice for those!_ **

_ Thanks Dad, but really, you don’t need to- ah, he’s already gone... _

* * *

Muku didn’t know how to fight. Not really. He wasn’t a fighter - but if he wanted to defend himself, he needed someone to teach him. He didn’t want to come home all bruised again - didn’t want to disappoint his parents, his older sister.

He’d turned to Juza for help.

* * *

_ Juchan…! Please teach me how to fight! _

**_Muku… who did this to you?!_ **

_ I-it doesn’t matter! Please… teach me…! _

**_I don’t want you to-_ **

_ If you won’t teach me to fight… then please, teach me how to defend myself, at least…! I don’t… my parents, my sister… I don’t want them to worry about me coming home bruised anymore! I don’t want to lie about them coming from practice anymore! _

**_… Muku…_ **

_ Please, Juchan…! _

* * *

On that chilly autumn day, Muku Sakisaka learned how to defend himself.

On the very same day, those people cornered him and Juza at the same time, since they’d been together at the time. With what he’d been taught, he’d managed to protect himself and Juza to the best of his ability.

**_“GET AWAY FROM JUCHAN!”_ **

Kicks had been blocked, punches had been parried. Some punches had been thrown on both sides. And perhaps he’d gotten a scratch on his cheek, but in the adrenaline of trying to make sure no one hurt his cousin he didn’t even notice until-

“Is that Sakisaka?”

“Is he okay?! He’s bleeding and bruised!”

“Whoa! What happened to everyone on the ground?!”

His breathing is heavy, the adrenaline still running through his veins. It feels like when he’s run a considerable amount on the track at a certain speed, but different. It’s a thrilling feeling, but Muku hopes that it’s only because of the heat of the moment. He’s not a fighter. He hated fighting.

But he hated people who hurt the people he cared about more.

He feels the sting of the wound on his cheek now. But it’s not so bad - not as bad as the pang of terror he feels when he hears what the bystanders are saying.

“Wait, is that-”

“N-no way… Juza Hyodo of O High?!  _ The _ top dog of O High?! What’s  _ he  _ doing here?!”

“Was he beating up Sakisaka- no, they’re back to back- did they beat up everyone around them?!”

“No way...?! Muku Sakisaka, a delinquent?!”

“That Hyodo’s got Muku as his underling?!”

Juza looks at him, looks at Muku, and Muku hates the regret and dismay in his eyes. The sight of it makes his stomach twist and turn every other way. “Muku. You have to stay away from me.”

“Wha-?! Juchan-”

“Who d’ya think you’re talking to?” Juza thunders, and Muku shrinks back in alarm. Their unfortunate audience cowers at his tone, but only Muku could see how much it hurt his cousin to even yell at him like this. “Get lost already. I don’t want to fight you.”

He was trying to establish that they weren’t connected. Weren’t fighting together. Juza yet again was trying to be the scapegoat, trying to protect Muku, but it wasn’t going to work.

Because even if Juza tried to chase him off, to try and distance himself from Muku, it was already too late. Those who knew Muku Sakisaka, the cute pink-haired member of the track team who liked shoujo manga and smiled like the sun, had already seen him like this. And word spread quickly especially if you were a student of St. Flora Middle School.

Thirteen year olds were terrifying, terrifying people, after all.

* * *

When Muku comes to school, the people in the hallways part like the sea for Moses when he walks by. He hears whispers, hears gossip flitting about as he passes, and he knows with a heavy heart it’s all about him.

_ “Did you hear?” _

**_“He beat up ten guys all by himself.”_ **

_ “No way, seriously?!” _

Muku bites his lip, touching the bandage on his cheek. His older sister had put it on him when he’d come back home alone and messed up, frantically asking him what had happened. He hadn’t been able to answer.

Juza had walked him home that night, sort of. He didn’t want Muku to get into any more trouble than he already had, so he’d watched like a silent guardian, keeping a fair distance away from him. It didn’t matter, really - people saw Muku pass and avoided him like he was the plague, no matter if they knew him or not.

When Muku had looked up at a few, he saw the fear and worry in their eyes.

_ Is this how they look at Juchan…? _

His chest had ached for his cousin as he’d tasted copper on his tongue. Right… they’d punched him badly in the face too, hadn’t they? That was why his sister had brought him ice as well and tried to get the whole story out of him.

_ I promised I wouldn’t get into another fight, but...  _

_ I’m sorry Mom… Dad… big sister… I’m just a useless donkey who can’t follow directions after all, huh…? _

Muku bites his lower lip. More whispers float past his ears.

**_“Nuh uh, he was fighting with Juza Hyodo. You know, the lone wolf of O High?”_ **

_ “Like with as in he was trying to take the spot or-” _

**_“No! They were tag teaming! Idiot, how’s he supposed to take his spot if he’s in a different school?!”_ **

_ “Are we getting a top dog as well in our school…?! How scary and terrifying!” _

**_“I thought he was a princely sort of person… oh, how sad that he’s like this now! He’s still so cute though…”_ **

_ “The delinquent prince… ah, isn’t that such a forbidden crush?! The tortured bad boy type of prince…! Oooh, I’m getting the shivers!” _

**_“I wouldn’t even try getting close to him anymore. He’s tainted.”_ **

Tainted.

_ That’s right, isn’t it…?  _ Muku looks at his bandaged hands. They’re heavily bandaged to protect them from further harm, but not enough that he would have trouble writing later in class.  _ These hands have spilled blood… these dirtied hands. _

_ “I-is he thinking of beating one of us up?!” _

**_“Oh no! He heard us! Eek! Let’s go!”_ **

When he looks back up again, the hallways are clear.

A thorny bramble begins to grow in his chest, curling around his heart protectively. Its first thorn digs deep into his heart.

* * *

At one point, one of his classmates approaches him later after class. A cute girl with glittering green eyes. Hinata, he thinks, is her name. She’s shaking as she clutches something in her hands - a cute pink envelope with a heart sealing it. Her friends - their other classmates - are watching from a respectful distance. That is, peeking out nervously from outside the classroom. With their bags in front of their bodies like shields.

“U-um…! Here!” She bows at a ninety degree angle, holding out the letter. “Please accept this,  _ yanki-oujisama! _ ”

Muku winces at the moniker.  _ Delinquent Prince…  _ “What is this…?”

“Um! Um!” Hinata babbles, and the envelope shakes so violently in her hands that Muku witnesses her drop it, the envelope landing on the floor instead. He pushes back his chair to pick it up and hand it back to her-

“Eek! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I bothered you, I’m so sorry-!” Hinata shrieks, bursting into tears and tearing the letter away from his hands before he can even react, running away from him. Her friends all give him terrified looks before running after her, leaving him alone in the classroom.

Muku stares after her, and sighs in confusion before packing up his things. He’s about to leave when something catches his eye as he looks out the window, and he peers outside.

There’s a green haired student he recognizes vaguely as being in the other class on the grounds of St. Flora, being cornered by two guys he also recognizes as being from the other class as well. It didn’t look like a very pleasant interaction, judging from the body language of the cornered student. Muku looks to see if anyone was going to intervene, but based on the looks of it, everyone else around them was acting as though it wasn’t happening, though - and the thought makes him tense.

_ I-I can’t let that happen…! _

He takes off in a sprint, running past students and down the stairs and heading for the courtyard. Before he knows it, he’s already seeing the three students, and-

“HEY!”

The two students encroaching on the other freeze at his shout, glaring in his direction before one of them realizes who he is. That one panics. “Oh shit, it’s him!”

“Who’s  _ him? _ ” the other student asks. “Whatever. Can we just get back to-”

“What are you doing to them?!” Muku demands, heart pounding. He’s channeling every single shoujo manga protagonist he knows in that moment, trying desperately to mimic their bravery, their courage in defending those who couldn’t help themselves.  _ Maybe… maybe they’ll see I’m still a prince worth loving like this…! _

“N-nothing, nothing,  _ yanki-oujisama,  _ ahahaha… we’re just going now, actually!” The first one reassures, tugging on the sleeve of his friend. “C’mon, Junpei-!”

Junpei scoffs. “Delinquent prince? So that’s you, then. You don’t look so scary.”

“Junpei!” his friend wails. “Don’t challenge him!”

“Sod off, Yamato,” Junpei cracks his neck before glaring at Muku. “I finally get to do something in this stupid school that isn’t just religion and boring shit. Let me live a little, nobody’s gonna tell.”

Muku’s eyes briefly flicker to the people in their surroundings. They’re staying a good distance away, but they’re  _ definitely  _ watching now. Was this really how the students in St. Flora were? He thought this was a school for children who were good and kind and-

Junpei swings a fist at Muku’s face. Muku catches it with his hand. The crowd gasps.

Muku’s hand moves to his wrist, and with a tug he yanks him closer, pulling him in and letting go, making Junpei slam face first into the ground with an unintentional amount of force. Yamato yelps and runs over, trying to help his friend up, when Junpei growls in frustration and tries to attack Muku from behind.

“Behind you!” the green haired student calls out, and Muku swivels around just in time for Junpei to throw another punch. With how fast he moves, however, Junpei ends up landing face first in the ground again.

“Fight back, you damn yankee!” Junpei snarls, stumbling back onto his feet. “You ain’t shit!”

“Junpei, it’s not worth it! He beat up ten guys at once with Juza Hyodo!” Yamato pleads. “You’re going to get  _ killed! _ ”

“You should listen to your friend,” Muku mutters softly. “I don’t want to fight you anyway. I just wanted to know what you were doing. It didn’t look very nice.”

Junpei clicks his tongue in disdain. The sound makes Muku’s hands clench into fists. He doesn’t know why. “What’s it to you, anyway if it was nice or not? Nobody’s gonna care about him anyway. Least of all you.”

“And why not?” Muku says softly.

“You’re just a good for nothing yankee, aren’t you? Working together with that Juza Hyodo… even though you’re in St. Flora, you’re not gonna get anywhere-”

Someone shrieks.

Junpei staggers back, hands on his nose. His now  _ broken  _ nose, bleeding profusely.

Muku stares at his balled up fist, his bloodied bandages. And yelps when Junpei rushes at him and finally, successfully knocks him to the ground and tries to beat him up. It’s a bit of a bloodbath as Muku tries to shove him off to no avail, until finally someone pulls Junpei off of him and helps him up.

“He’s the yankee!” Junpei howls, pointing at Muku. “He broke my nose!”

The teacher that had stopped their fight scolds him. “I was told you were picking a fight with Sakisaka and fell flat on your face multiple times. I don’t believe you in the slightest.”

“But-! Everyone saw-!”

“Sakisaka is a model student and one of the best on the track team. You, however, have always been up to no good, I hear, bothering Rurikawa. Come with me.”

Junpei is dragged away, protesting. The murmurs of the crowd start up again, loud enough for Muku to hear no matter how far they are away from him.

_ “He’s got the teachers under his thumb, huh…” _

**_“A delinquent prince indeed…! The teachers must be his underlings too!”_ **

_ That’s not… that’s not true… I’m not a delinquent… _

“Oi. Do none of you have lives? Leave already.”

It’s the person he’d saved. The boy he’d saved was speaking, addressing the crowd. The crowd murmurs amongst themselves again before dispersing, leaving Muku to try and sit up. His form casts a shadow over Muku as he stands in front of him.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

Muku, sitting on the ground, wipes away at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, wincing as the pain sets in. His bandaged knuckles are bruised black and blue no doubt, and oh, it’s an unsightly thing, isn’t it, to have his hands look this way? Very unbecoming of a prince. He wanted to be a prince, and yet he’d done something so unprincely…

But, he was the delinquent prince now, wasn’t he? So was this something princely after all? No, it couldn’t be so...

“I-I couldn’t just let them do that to you....!”

The boy stares at him. Muku doesn’t know if he’s confused or not as he crouches in front of him, rummaging around in his bag. It’s a few moments before he realizes that the boy he just defended is pulling out a cute metal My Melody water bottle - something that he holds against Muku’s knuckles carefully. The ice cold chill of metal against his skin makes him flinch briefly, but he doesn’t move.

“I meant punching them. You were already doing fine not punching them at the start,” he says, and Muku turns a little pink. “... Thank you for trying to help. But now you hurt yourself like an idiot. You’re lucky I haven’t taken my water bottle out all day.”

Muku sighs. “It’s nothing I’m not used to by this point, to be honest.”

“I know.”

“You do?”

The boy meets his eyes, and Muku’s struck by the fire in them. “I’ve heard people talk about you, you know. I’m not deaf. You’re hard to miss with that hair of yours, Delinquent Prince.”

“... Ah.”

He doesn’t know how to feel about that nickname. His cousin had been referred to as the top dog of Ouka High, after all - even when he didn’t want to be. Was he really going to be the delinquent prince of St. Flora forever?

He didn’t want to spiral right now.

“Wait, I know you,” Muku realizes, staring yet again at the boy he’d defended. “You’re- you’re Yuki Rurikawa, aren’t you?”

The boy - Yuki - just looks at him. However, Muku can see the way his gaze sharpens at his words. “Let me guess. You heard about me from the gossipy busybodies in this dumb school.”

“N-no, I saw you negotiate for your tie with the guidance counselor,” Muku admits, staring at the girl’s ribbon that was tied as part of the St. Flora uniform. “Though I can’t deny that I’ve heard people talk about the things you wear…”

“Oh… I remember you now,” Yuki realizes. “You called me cool then.”

“You  _ are  _ cool...” Muku gives him an honest, open smile, and Yuki’s taken aback briefly by the softness in his eyes. “I think… I think it suits you, you know. You look very good in the things you wear, Yuki. And the way you negotiated with the guidance counselor… you were so brave. I admired Yuki even then.”

Yuki sits back on his heels, hands on his thighs. “... Thank you. You’re probably one of the few people who’s actually said that I look good in the things I wear without any malice at first.”

“Why would they- why would they say stuff with malice?”

“They think I should just be a girl,” Yuki spits, and Muku admires the fire in his eyes - one blazing like an inferno. “Just because I want to wear cute clothes, look good, and feel good wearing what I want to wear. I want to wear dresses because they’re cuter than pants, so I wear those outside of school, but… they always judge. They assume I’m a girl, and when they find out I’m not, they judge me for being myself. Just like those two you chased off earlier.”

Muku frowns. “They bully you.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t care about them.” It’s a lie, and they both know it, but Muku doesn’t call him out on it as Yuki sighs. “They don’t understand. They just assume, and judge-”

“- without even really trying to understand, or getting to know you,” Muku mutters, and Yuki looks up sharply. “... yeah. I get that. I’m not… really a delinquent, you know.”

Yuki gives him a dry look. “I couldn’t tell.”

“R-really?!”

“No. You’re too soft looking,” Yuki flicks his forehead ever so lightly, making Muku squeak. “And you literally have pink hair and baby blues that could kill anyone’s hearts with sugary sweetness and waterfalls of tears.”

“Oh.” Pause. “W-wait, I’m a potential killer?!”

“ _ No.  _ Your head is in the clouds, isn’t it? Don’t jump to conclusions like that, wonder boy.” Yuki sighs before staring at Muku in his entirety. “You’re not a delinquent. I know that because I’ve seen you around.”

“We’re in the same year, after all…”

“That, and you’re part of the track team. You’re bound to be recognized. And the girls love you. People adore you.” Yuki pauses. “... Still do, I think, but now they’re also scared of you.”

Muku sighs. “It’s because I’m a delinquent in their eyes now, isn’t it…”

“What even happened with that?” Yuki asks him, genuinely curious. “It’s not every day that the pretty boy track team prodigy of St. Flora is suddenly labeled as a no-good gangster.”

Muku’s eyes look down. “It’s a long story.”

“Well, it’s a long walk home.” Yuki stands up, and holds out a hand to him. “I’ll walk home with you, Sakisaka. On the way home, you can tell me all about it.”

Muku blinks up at him, bewildered. “But, you could get targeted-!”

“As long as I’m with you, you won’t get targeted,” Yuki pronounces clearly. “Because as far as I’m aware, they won’t hurt pretty girls if they can help it. And in everyone else’s eyes, I’m a pretty girl, aren’t I?”

“You’re a handsome boy, Yuki,” Muku corrects firmly. “Cute and handsome, but you’re not a girl. No matter what they say.”

Yuki blinks back at him, genuinely surprised, before the smallest of smiles crosses his face. “Still. If I can use it to my advantage this time to protect you from getting hurt, then I will. I want to hear your story, Sakisaka.”

“Then… I want to hear yours too. And… I’ll protect you as well!” Muku declares. “If I’m the delinquent prince they say I am… they won’t approach you if I stay by your side!”

“Deal.”

Muku takes his hand.

On that day, a bond is forged.

* * *

They start going home together. And after some time, they start going to school together as well. They had the same route home, after all.

As Yuki had predicted, people tended to steer clear of them whenever they were together, no matter where they were. Whenever they were separated because they were in different classes, people were still willing to approach them warily, but whenever they were within proximity of each other it was like everyone had decided to give them a wide berth instead.

People still picked fights with Muku, but nowadays it was getting rarer. It was usually the new students who didn’t have any idea what they were getting into that picked fights with him nowadays, but sometimes former ‘rivals’ would goad Muku into fights to try and ‘steal’ the role of ‘top dog of St. Flora’ from him.

They always failed, because Muku would always reject their proposals to fight. Whenever they insisted on fighting even after that, Muku only ever defended - but he always,  _ always  _ overestimated his strength. They always found themselves on the ground afterwards, watching with stars spinning around their heads while Muku found himself getting tugged away from the crime scene by Yuki.

“Did you hear what they’re saying about us?” Yuki asks him one day over lunch. They’re eating lunch together, isolated from the others, under the shade of a tree like a picnic. “They say I’m your underling, or that I’m paying you to protect me.”

Muku sighs, popping an octopus hotdog into his mouth and eating it before answering. “You’re not, though.”

“Like they know that.” Yuki rolls his eyes. “No braincells. All of them.”

Silence.

Muku speaks up again after a few moments. “What  _ are  _ we though?”

“Hm?”

“What are we, Yuki?” Muku asks him earnestly. “Are we just each other’s bodyguards?”

“No, we’re each other’s pets.”

“Eh?!”

“That was a joke.”

Muku sighs, and Yuki snickers as he ponders, “Then… we’re friends, right, Yuki?”

“What do you think?”

“I think…” Muku closes his eyes briefly before smiling serenely. “Yeah. We’re definitely friends, I think. More than friends, but that’s between the two of us, right?”

Yuki balls his hand into a fist and taps the top of Muku’s head lightly. “Best friends. The term is ‘best friends’. You don’t just go to and from school together with someone who isn’t your friend. And we’ve long since passed the ‘just a friend’ mark.”

“Ehehe… I’m best friends with Yuki!” Muku grins, a sunshiney grin, and he’s delighted when Yuki grins back at him. “Um… I’m glad to have a friend like you, Yuki. Really.”

“... Me too.” Yuki peers down at his lunch. “... I didn’t think I’d really be close with anyone like this, but you’ve proved me wrong yet again, wonder boy.”

“Hehe. I’m glad to be close with you like this too, Yuki.”

“I wish people would stop calling me your underling or whatever, though.”

“Um… I haven’t really heard those names, but… I  _ have  _ heard a different nickname for you.”

Yuki peers at him curiously. “Oh?”

“Yeah… some people, I think… they call you the Black Raven of St. Flora. You know how people say crows or ravens ferry the souls of the dead? Something like that.”

Muku watches Yuki process this for a moment before a rather mischievous smile crosses his face. “Hm. Black raven, huh? It’s not exactly my image to wear black all the time, but it’ll be a challenge.”

“You’re thinking of something new to make again, huh, Yuki?”

“You know me so well, wonder boy.”

* * *

Yuki comes to school the next day with a pair of dangling feather earrings. He gets scolded for it, and takes it off while in class.

When he steps outside back into the courtyard at dismissal, however, he has them on again when he meets Muku. Muku notices them, and smiles at him.

“Might as well own the title,” Yuki tells him offhandedly as they head home. “If I want them all to call me the Black Raven, then I’ll have to remind them myself.”

“So cool again…”

“Stop it. I know that already.”

“Hehe, okay, Yuki.”

* * *

Someone picks a fight with Muku again.

This time, he’s unable to get out of it, because it’s not on school grounds. He wins the fight, but he’s left battered with a split lip and bruised knuckles again. He’s lucky that Yuki is always nearby somehow and able to find him no matter where he goes, and he thanks what few lucky stars still in his favor that Yuki doesn’t get hurt this time.

They’re in an alleyway, hidden from sight. Yuki had pulled him into the alleyway to hide them from any other people who might’ve wanted to finish the job.

Muku winces as Yuki hands him some ice to put on his knuckles again, but he doesn’t reject it while Yuki goes to check on his other hand again.

“They really did a number on you this time,” Yuki mutters, unwrapping the bandages. “But at least having the bandages act as a barrier worked. It’s not as bad as it  _ should  _ be. I told you this was a good idea.”

Muku sighs a stuttered sigh. “S-sorry…”

“It’s not your fault. Stop apologizing.”

They’re quiet for a few moments as Muku cooperates with Yuki, slowly unwrapping and rewrapping new bandages. Yuki had taken to including bandages in the emergency sewing kit he kept on his person at all times because of such occurrences.

“... It’s almost your birthday, isn’t it, Yuki?” Muku realizes after a few minutes. “Do you want anything?”

“... What I want isn’t really something you can buy or make,” Yuki says after a few minutes. “So I’m okay with whatever.”

“... Yuki…”

“... I’m already fine just being with you, wonder boy. The fact that we’re still friends is already something you get me every year. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.”

That was… such a sad, sad thought. But Muku felt the same.

“I want to get you something, though. Anything. It doesn’t feel right that you’re already happy with just that... “

“What’s been happening to us hasn’t felt right for months,” Yuki mutters quietly. “We’re fourteen. We shouldn’t have to be doing this at all. You shouldn’t be getting into fights like this, shouldn’t be getting beat up that we’re resorting to hiding in these gross places, of all things.”

“Sorry…”

“Don’t say sorry. Stop it. It’s not even your fault people like to judge,” Yuki hisses. “Not your fault people are taking it out on you when they can’t take it out on your cousin.”

Muku sighs, and with one hand picks up Yuki’s free hand. “I’m… not sorry about those. I’m sorry that you’re the one having to patch up someone like me. A weak yellow bellied frog who can’t even sit on a lilypad properly, can’t even fight back properly.”

“Shut up already,” Yuki grits out. He ties off the bandage on Muku’s other hand even while Muku’s holding one of his hands. “Stop saying you’re weak or can’t fight back, because that’s all you’ve been doing. You… that’s all you’ve been doing this whole time. Fighting back because-”

“- because we promised, didn’t we?” Muku reminds him. “We look out for each other. And if that means I have to fight back to make sure you don’t get hurt… then… that’s the least I can do, as a prince. Even delinquent princes protect their own.”

Yuki goes silent.

Muku holds Yuki’s hand to his cheek, to the cheek with the first scar he’d ever gotten from a fight, and sighs. “It doesn’t matter what they do to us. I look out for you…”

“... and I look out for you,” Yuki sighs, and allows himself to rest his forehead against Muku’s shoulder. “Right. Of course.”

Because they could trust each other after all. It had always just been the two of them.

The two of them stay like that for quite some time.

* * *

There is a hierarchy in St. Flora Middle School.

At the bottom are the delinquents, those who should have gone to public schools full of delinquents but had families rich enough to pay their way into private schools like St. Flora. Not very many of them - not anymore.

Above them are the normal students, those who go about their lives as normally as possible. Those who have their own stories, their normal lives, undisturbed for the most part. The majority of the population.

Above them are the elite students, the intelligent ones, who have been said to be on the road to greatness. Those whose reviewers are treasured by the masses.

And above all of them, the two kings of St. Flora Middle School.

Two pretty boys, one pink, one green. The first, a delinquent prince, and the other, a harbinger of death. Two boys who’d learned at an earlier age a few lessons that the world had taught them.

One: the world was a dangerous and cruel place, but it didn’t have to be.

Two: keep your wits about you at all times, and never let your guard down in full.

And three: trust only each other.

The delinquent prince Muku Sakisaka and his right hand man Yuki Rurikawa, the black raven of St. Flora. Two people who’d found themselves drawn to each other, and found a kindred spirit within each other in a time of darkness. Two hearts covered in thorns that the world had grown for them.

_ “It doesn’t matter what they do to us. You look out for me, and I look out for you. Got that?” _

**_“Yeah.”_ **

It was them against the world. Always had been. Alone in their own world where they protected each other, kept each other safe. Until...

* * *

It’s the weekend. As typical as it was, Yuki was at the Sakisaka house again, doing homework with Muku and his cousin, Kumon. He’d met Kumon about a year or so ago when he’d gotten closer to Muku, so by this point he could consider Kumon a good friend himself.

The clock chimes, and Yuki looks up before his eyes widen. Muku watches as he starts packing up. “Yuki?”

“Sorry, I can’t stay,” Yuki says, slinging his bag over his head. “I nearly forgot that I’ve got somewhere to go to today. But if you two want to wait for me outside, it’s no trouble.”

“I can’t,” Kumon says mournfully. “I gotta finish this first.”

“That’s okay. You don’t need to come anyway, tiny brocon. It was just an offer.”

Muku nods, smiling. “Kyuchan can’t go, but I can. I’ll wait for you, Yuki. Where are you going?”

“I applied to be a costume designer for a theater troupe recently. Seemed like they needed someone to make their costumes in record time.”

“Which one?”

“Mankai Company,” Yuki says, picking up his cloak and draping it over his shoulders. It’s Muku who ends up finding the ribbon that he uses to hold it together, however. He ties it into a bow for Yuki. “Ah- thanks, wonder boy. Where was I?”

“Mankai Company,” Muku responds promptly. “Tell me as we walk?”

Yuki nods before glancing at Kumon. “We’ll be back in a bit.”

“I’ll be here when you guys get back!” Kumon calls out to them before turning back to his homework again.

Yuki hums thoughtfully as they head on out. “They’re hosting a play called Romeo and Julius. I don’t know if it’s any good, but I’ll be watching it when the time comes. I want to see my costumes in action, after all.”

“You always make good costumes, Yuki,” Muku says, tugging on the sleeve of his jacket. It’s a hand me down from Juza, a jacket he’d outgrown. It hadn’t fit Kumon, so it had gone to Muku instead. It’s warm and comfortable - that much both Muku  _ and  _ Yuki could attest to, since Yuki borrowed the jacket on occasion. “Who’s your contact?”

“Some mopheaded guy. Matsukawa’s his name,” Yuki plays with one of his earrings idly. “They seemed pretty desperate. Well,  _ he  _ did, anyway.”

Muku hums thoughtfully, shoving his hands into his pockets. “They’re smart though, if they’re taking you on as the costume designer.” He pauses. “... Did they-”

“Matsukawa didn’t say anything about me,” Yuki says immediately. “... He just seemed relieved I applied at all, or agreed. I don’t think anyone else wanted the job. He didn’t say anything about what I was wearing, or anything.”

Muku hums. “... They don’t know about you.”

“Which means they don’t know about  _ you  _ either,” Yuki points out. “So there’s a high chance you could just come in with me.”

Muku’s eyes widen. “W- no, wait, I don’t think I should do that, Yuki-”

“It’ll be fine. If they say anything, just do what we usually do.” Yuki stops to raise a leg and tap on his heel, and Muku laughs at the reminder that he’s wearing one of his sharper heels today. “I’ll cut them if I have to.”

“No violence.”

“Unless absolutely necessary.”

“Yuki!”

“I’m  _ joking _ .”

Half joking, they both know this, but they laugh anyway.

* * *

Muku was  _ supposed  _ to wait outside.

‘Supposed to’ being the keywords here.

But somehow, Matsukawa had gotten it in his head that he and Yuki were  _ cotailors _ and had dragged him inside as well, something that makes Yuki snicker while Muku stammers and panics.

“Don’t worry so much, wonder boy,” Yuki says, taking Muku’s hand in his. The reaction is immediate: Muku relaxes considerably, but he’s still not sure about the whole thing. “Remember. They probably don’t know us, anyway.”

Muku inhales, and exhales slowly. “... Right. Yuki is being cool again, huh? This stupid loach that’s your best friend keeps getting so nervous over nothing.”

“Oi. I told you to stop doing that.”

“S-sorry!”

Yuki stares at him sternly before the two of them burst into giggles once more, but the laughter dissipates immediately as Matsukawa loudly proclaims their arrival alongside that of a man who didn’t  _ seem  _ like he was the talking type at all.

“Director, I’ve found ‘em!”

Muku peers into the room. There are five males in the room, and one woman who Matsukawa had addressed as ‘Director’. Said director peers at Matsukawa curiously. “Uh, you’ve found what?”

“Coming in,” Yuki says next to him, and before he’s even aware of what’s going on Yuki pulls him along with him, making him stumble in after his best friend. The other man comes in after them as well as Matsukawa squeezes past them and gestures to them excitedly.

Matsukawa grins. “Allow me to introduce you to Yuki Rurikawa, our potential new costume designer! And his cotailor whose name I… forgot…?”

“Muku Sakisaka,” Yuki supplies. “His name is Muku.”

“Muku Sakisaka!” Matsukawa repeats.

“Hi,” Yuki greets with a smile. Muku awkwardly waves with his free hand when he realizes that Yuki is still holding his other one.  _ Maybe if I try and make myself more unassuming… aaah, if I act like my true self, a worthless stinkbug, maybe then- _

Yuki squeezes his hand as if he’d sensed his spiral. He stops… for now.

The director tilts her head at them. “A girl?”

“Huh?” Yuki’s gaze narrows.

Muku’s about to tug on his hand when the woman immediately corrects herself. “OH. Oh geez, I’m sorry. Um, young man, right?”

“Ah, the traditional Japanese cross-dressing boy!” One of the men says with a wide smile. Muku’s immediately taken aback by the princely air about him, and briefly goes starry eyed.

A much younger man next to him winces. “Where do you even pick this stuff up, Citron…?”

“Are you students then?” The director asks them. “By the way, I’m Izumi Tachibana. You don’t have to call me director if you don’t want to, since you’re not part of the troupe.”

Yuki nods. “Yeah. We’re in our third year of middle school. I’ve got experience selling stuff online, so I don’t think that’ll be an issue. Muku helps me with my projects when I’ve got many at once going on.”

“I-I’m not as good as Yuki, but I try my best,” Muku admits. “He needs all the help he can get… and my cousin and I try to help him where we can!”

The young man from earlier looks at them in concern. Muku notes the tired look in his eyes. “Shouldn’t you be studying for high school entrance exams?”

“Our school doesn’t do those,” Muku explains before Yuki can retort. “But, um. Thank you for the concern.”

“Anyway,” Yuki finally lets go of Muku’s hand to wave it around. “I hear you don’t have long before the show goes live. I need to go over the performers like, yesterday. Who’s the lead?”

“I think I’ll just stand over here…” Muku murmurs, stepping back as the shortest of the five males steps forward to speak to Yuki as he whips out his notepad and pencil. From where he’s standing, he witnesses Yuki rattle off nicknames rapid-fire, and can’t help the laugh that bubbles up when the young man - Tsuzuru, he thinks - protests the nickname he receives.

“Is he really like this?!” Tsuzuru exclaims with exasperation, and it takes but a moment before Muku realizes he’s talking to him. “Tell me you have a nickname too.”

Muku grins. He’s not sure if it’s coming across as cheeky or not. “Wonder boy.”

“Oh,  _ he  _ gets a decent nickname,” Tsuzuru sulks. “Geez, the mouth on this kid… it’s like a second Masumi.”

Yuki snaps the notebook shut. “Alright. I’m gonna sketch out some quick draft designs then get back with you on this. Muku, we’re leaving.”

“Ah, right-!”

“We’ll see you soon!” Izumi waves to them before the door clicks shut behind them.

* * *

“Muku, hand me that blue thread over there. No, not that one, the other one.”

“Okay!”

It had been some time after the designs had been agreed upon. Yuki had been hard at work this whole time, making sure the costumes looked their best. Muku, faithful as he was, was there at the Rurikawa household sleeping over for the night to assist while helping Yuki do his homework and study on the side.

“Okay, Yuki. King Philip came over for good spaghetti.”

“Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus-  _ fuck, _ ” Yuki swears briefly, and Muku waits as he unjams the sewing machine for a few minutes. When it’s cleared up, he repeats, “Genus, species.”

Muku beams. “Nice. You’re getting it, Yuki?”

“That’s the basics we’ve had since the beginning. Try something harder. We’ve got a test on the skeletal system in two days. Hand me the buttons.”

Muku hands the small box over. “You want to start on the skeletal system already?”

“Might help if you started on the arm first. I’m working on Psycho Stalker’s sleeves right now, so it’ll help me remember.”

“Okay! We’ll start at the shoulder...”

* * *

By the time midnight hits, Yuki’s mother knocks on their door.

Muku startles awake, wincing as he wipes at the corner of his mouth with his jacket sleeve. The math book on his knee is still propped open as Mrs. Rurikawa peeks in. When he follows her gaze, he sees Yuki already fast asleep at his sewing machine, cheek resting against the soft fabric of Citron’s priest outfit.

“He’s fast asleep now, huh…” she says fondly. “He really works so hard.”

“Yuki always works really hard…” Muku murmurs.

“I’ll just close the door again. Goodnight, Muku.”

“Goodnight, ma’am!”

_ Click. _

Muku liked Yuki’s mom. She didn’t think he was a delinquent when Yuki had first introduced him to her, and had generally been very supportive of the two of them. She’d thought he was a prince on sight, and it’d taken him a grand total of ten minutes to stop blushing and stammering before he’d been able to correct her.

He’s glad, he thinks.

Muku looks over at Yuki again and shakes his head. He puts aside the books, puts aside Yuki’s sewing kit, and stands up. Carefully he slides Citron’s finished outfit out from under Yuki before putting it on one of the hangers they’d set aside for the costumes, and hangs it along with the rest in Yuki’s cabinet.

_ And now for Yuki… _

“Yuki… hey, Yuki,” Muku says softly, lightly shaking Yuki’s shoulder. “You can’t sleep like that. Your back will hurt in the morning.”

“Mmmrgh…”

“Don’t worry,” Muku laughs gently. “I’ll help you into bed. But you have to help me too, okay?”

“... mrrr…”

That’s a yes, he thinks, because when he crouches down and drapes one of Yuki’s arms over his shoulders the other one follows instinctively, wrapping around him as he goes to pick up the rest of Yuki from his chair. He’s not particularly heavy, but it’s still a bit of a long process before Muku gets to carry Yuki back to his bed safely. Once he’s there, however, he draws the blanket over Yuki’s sleeping form, making sure he’s all tucked in before yawning.

_... I should sleep too, huh,  _ he thinks, changing into his pajamas before going to lie down next to Yuki, as they always did. Muku usually slept  _ over  _ the blanket most of the time though.

“Goodnight, Yuki.”

The night is peaceful.

* * *

“Come... Julius.”

“Just like what we promised on that day.”

“We’ll travel the world together!”

The curtains fall on the final day of  _ Romeo and Julius.  _ In response, the crowd rises in a standing ovation.

“Wow…” Muku says, genuinely in awe. He and Yuki are seated in the back, so as not to draw too much attention to the two of them together, but it didn’t really matter anyway. Everyone was standing up now. The applause leaves his heart racing with excitement. “Yuki, your costumes…”

Yuki hums, pleased with himself. They’re both clapping along with the rest. “It’s good to know that they lasted until tonight. The whole thing is good too, I suppose.”

“Of course they lasted long! You made them!” Muku laughs, nudging Yuki with an elbow. “Cool Yuki making cool clothes as usual… even now you’re so powerful, huh?”

Yuki rolls his eyes at him as Sakuya and the others do their curtain call. “You’ll never get tired of calling me cool, are you?”

"Are we best friends?”

Yuki bumps the side of his head against Muku’s lightly, and the two of them laugh. The flyer for the summer troupe auditions sits in Yuki’s bag, folded and tucked away.

* * *

“Hey! You’re… you’re Yuki’s friend, right? Muku Sakisaka?”

While walking alone for once on Veludo Way, Muku tenses, turning around halfway. Out of the corner of his eye he sees a somewhat familiar face, but he doesn’t remember her name until he picks up on the flyers in her hands. “... Oh, you’re… the director for Mankai Company, right? Miss Tachibana?”

“You make me sound so _old_ when you call me Miss Tachibana,” Izumi groans. “Just call me Izumi - or hopefully enough in the near future, the director!”

He relaxes, but gestures for her to follow him to the side so that they’re not blocking the sidewalk as they talk. “What did you need to talk to me for?”

“We’re holding auditions for the summer troupe soon, and I remembered you!” Izumi grins brightly at him, and Muku fidgets, cheeks reddening. She reminded him of one of the many protagonists in his shoujo mangas, in a way, with her unassuming but lovely features and pretty eyes. “I already handed one of these to Yuki before, but I couldn’t find you for some reason. So… here!”

She presses a flyer into his hand. “Please consider coming to the auditions! We’d be happy to see you there!”

“Y-you gave one to Yuki?”

Izumi nods. “Of course. You two came to all the shows, right? You wanted to support us, and we’re grateful for that. And I thought, maybe, you and Yuki would like it up on stage as well just like the rest of the spring troupe, you know?”

“...” Muku stares at the flyer. “The reborn summer troupe, huh…”

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but… it’d be really nice to see you and Yuki there together,” she says kindly. “I think you two would make great actors. You look like you could play a prince.”

Muku stiffens, but by that point she’d already nodded her head and left, leaving Muku to watch as she makes her leave before looking at the flyer in his hands again.  _ Summer Troupe auditions… _

_ Does she know,  _ he wonders, staring after Izumi as she distributes more flyers to other people.  _ That I’m the delinquent prince…? How else could she have…? _

Muku’s thumb grazes the word ‘auditions’. He remembers something Yuki had told him once.

**_“Even if they say you look like a delinquent, they call you a delinquent prince for a reason, you know. You have a lovely face. People fall in love with you, like they do princes.”_ **

_ On stage, I can be… a prince. A real prince again… _

_ Maybe... _

* * *

Later that night, he makes the decision to go together with Yuki to the auditions. When he texts Yuki about it, he only receives one reply.

**_Of course. We’ll go there together like we always do. I expected nothing less, wonder boy._ **

He smiles softly at the text, and sends a reply.

_ See you then, Yuki. <3 _


	2. all the things he said

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good afternoon! i lied. it got too long for only two parts. part 3 is smth that will happen

He’d been so confident that night, a week or so ago, texting Yuki like that. Deciding that he’d audition for the reborn summer troupe of Mankai Company just like that, just because he’d gotten it in his head that maybe,  _ just  _ maybe, he could be the prince he’d always wanted to be again. For the briefest of moments, Izumi’s words had given him a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, things could change for him.

**_You look like you could play a prince._ **

The director… she’d said it with such kindness and honesty, no traces of malice or anything. Even with his ruined face and soul, his bloodied hands-

_ Ah, but she doesn’t know that about you,  _ says a voice in his head.  _ The director doesn’t know you’re a good-for-nothing, doesn’t know the things you’ve done or the things done to you. She literally only knows what she’s seen from you the day you came with Yuki, and when you attended the play showings with him. _

And all she’d seen from him based on that was… a prince?

_ Even though she’s probably seen people avoid you and Yuki on the streets if she’s seen you two walking around Veludo Way…  _ it’s a jarring thought. He’d been so used to being alone with Yuki, so used to being judged on sight based on how he looked… the idea of someone looking at him and seeing a prince - and not a  _ delinquent  _ prince, but an actual  _ prince _ \- seemed so foreign now.

But the director of the Mankai Company had seen exactly that. A prince.

Did that mean, maybe… that he was still able to be the prince that he’d dreamed he could be? The lovely prince adored by all for his kind heart, warm smile, and courageous spirit? Even though he’d been condemned by the world to be a delinquent prince?

…  _ Maybe… _

Sitting up in his bed, Muku touches his ankle. It didn’t hurt as much as it had before - not anymore. The injury had forced him to take a break from the track team for a considerable amount of time - until he’d been advised to drop track and field permanently because of it. The blow to his heart had been immense that day.

Yuki had held him then for a long, long time. Yuki had allowed him to cry on his shoulder for as long as he’d liked back then.

Track had been one of the few things that kept him from being branded as a delinquent, through and through. The track team had known him even before people had started calling him the delinquent prince, and while they were wary of him, they weren’t like the rest of the school who avoided him entirely. They acknowledged his strengths, and cheered him on like proper teammates. Muku could almost say they cared about him.

And then he’d been forced to drop out of the team.

He’d dreamed of being a track ace before. And then, afterwards, he’d dreamed of winning a championship with the track team. Now, those dreams were gone, for the most part - save for the dream of becoming a prince. To this day, it remained in his heart, a pipe dream for the delinquent prince and his cardboard crown.

_ Maybe I’m still a prince,  _ he thinks, as he lies back down again.  _ If… if the director thinks I can play a prince, then maybe… maybe I’m not so useless and worthless after all... _

Maybe…

_ BZZZZT! _

His phone buzzes. He checks the notifications.

**From: yuki <3**

**_[You still awake wonder boy?]_ **

_ Oh… a text from Yuki? _

_ [Yeah] _

_ [Can’t sleep] _

**_[Overthinking again, aren’t you?]_ **

_ [How’d you know?] _

**_[Just a hunch.]_ **

**_[You’re usually only up this late when you’re reading something new or overthinking, and I know for a fact you just finished the fifth issue of the latest manga you were reading yesterday.]_ **

_ [I’m that obvious, huh?] _

**_[Just a little.]_ **

Muku rolls over onto his side, face illuminated by the faint light of his phone. He jostles the small stack of unread manga next to his pillow slightly.

_ [You’re up late too though, huh, Yuki?] _

**_[Maybe.]_ **

_ [What’s the newest project?] _

_ [Beret?] _

**_[An entire ensemble, complete with beret.]_ **

**_[You remember the sketch I showed you once?]_ **

_ [The pink one?] _

_ [You’re finally finishing it?] _

**_[Yeah. Finished it tonight, actually.]_ **

**_[I think I’ll wear it to the auditions.]_ **

_ [I think you’d look really good in it] _

_ [Pink really suits you] _

**_[You think I look good in everything I wear.]_ **

_ [I’m not wrong though] _

_ [You do] _

**_[Thanks.]_ **

**_[I’m glad you think I’ll look good in it.]_ **

_ [So you’re not going to wear the usual then?] _

**_[It’s going to be hot tomorrow. It’s not smart to wear dark clothes. I don’t want to sweat there, after all.]_ **

**_[Lighter clothing will be nicer to wear on such a day.]_ **

_ [You’re right as usual] _

_ [You really thought of everything for the audition huh] _

_ [Maybe it’s you who’s overthinking tonight too haha] _

Yuki doesn’t answer for a few minutes. While Muku would very much like to go to bed already, he doesn’t want to fall asleep on Yuki still texting him - unless Yuki already fell asleep himself. He was willing to wait.

**_[Maybe.]_ **

… Ah.

_ [Want to talk about it?] _

**_[Not over text.]_ **

_ [Call?] _

**_[We’re supposed to be going to bed already.]_ **

_ [You don’t sleep if you have something on your mind] _

_ [Just call me] _

_ [I don’t mind] _

_ [Really] _

A prompt for a call comes in. Muku answers his phone, and puts it on speaker. Benefits of having his own room - nobody would bother him late at night like this. Yuki’s voice crackles over the speaker briefly, but otherwise it’s clear as though Yuki himself was right there with Muku.

It always brought him a sense of comfort.

**_“You sure are stubborn sometimes.”_ **

“I could say the same for you, you know,” Muku laughs softly, smiling at the phone. His finger traces circles on the mattress. “What’s on your mind?”

**_“...”_ ** Yuki’s side is quiet for a few moments again. Muku hears the line crackle slightly as he assumes Yuki rolls over in his bed.  **_“I wasn’t going to audition, you know. Until you said that you wanted to.”_ **

“Eh?!”

**_“I’m not exactly big on acting. You know this.”_ **

“So… then…?” He’s genuinely confused. “Why did you say we’d go together?”

**_“We promised each other we’d have each other’s backs. You sounded so sure that you wanted to try out. I didn’t want to ruin your fun, so I decided as well to come with you. I was only going to watch at first, but-”_ **

“You didn’t have to, though... I don’t want you doing anything you don’t really want to, Yuki. Um… you could’ve-“

**_“I want to go now, though,”_ ** Yuki tells him sharply.  **_“Because you seemed so excited to. And like I said before when I made the Romeo and Julius costumes: I want to see the costumes in action myself.”_ **

“Meaning…?”

**_“... It’s different if I’m wearing my own costumes. I can get a better idea of how to make them if I’m acting myself.”_ **

“That makes sense… I think.”

**_“...”_ **

“...”

Muku’s eyelids droop a little.

**_“Muku?”_ **

He snaps to attention. “Yeah?”

**_“... This means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”_ ** Yuki’s voice is matter-of-fact, but there’s an undercurrent of affection that probably only Muku himself would be able to pick up on with how close they were.  **_“This audition.”_ **

“... Yeah,” Muku says. His gaze grows wistful. “... She called me a prince.”

**_“Who did?”_ **

“The director. She… said I looked like I could play a prince.”

**_“... You’ve always looked like you could play a prince,_ ** ” is what Yuki says after a few moments.  **_“It’s just that everyone else made you think otherwise.”_ **

“...” A smile graces Muku’s lips. “Thanks, Yuki.”

**_“Why are you thanking me for something I tell you all the time?”_ **

“Because I really am grateful that you tell me this all the time.”

**_“I just don’t want you to forget it, that’s all.”_ **

Muku giggles. “You’re really sweet, Yuki. Just like the kind of stuff Juchan eats.”

**_“Oh, gross. I don’t want to be that sweet, the kind of stuff the sugar demon eats would absolutely destroy my blood sugar levels.”_ **

“But you are though~!”

**_“No. Stop it. Gross. Wonder boy. No. I know you’re looking at the phone right now with that face you make when you read something you like in your mangas, no.”_ **

Muku hits the video chat button and props the phone up so that it’s capturing his expression perfectly. “You mean this face?”

**_“I’m not looking.”_ **

“You’re looking.”

**_“Shut up.”_ **

Muku laughs, and after a few moments, Yuki’s more subdued but still just as happy laughter crackles through the phone again as Muku turns off the video chat. “Hey. Yuki?”

**_“Mm.”_ **

“You think I’ll pass the auditions?”

**_“Give me a harder question next time.”_ ** Yuki’s voice softens.  **_“Of course I think you will. Goodnight, wonder boy.”_ **

“Goodnight, Yuki.”

Muku lies in bed that night, eyes fluttering shut, surrounded by his shoujo mangas and pillows, and dreams of white horses and fairytale endings he’d previously thought unobtainable.

* * *

_ Mankai Company reborn summer troupe auditions… _

He’s standing in front of the theater with Yuki, the flyer he’d been given in his hands. Veludo Way is relatively quiet at this hour despite being the hot spot for theater troupes, so he’s both thankful and not thankful that there’s nobody around to really see them standing around. He didn’t want them to be accused of loitering, or worse, dragged off for doing absolutely nothing just because they looked like delinquents-!

“Are you nervous?”

Muku looks away from the eye-catching lettering of Mankai Theater to glance down at the flyer in his hands. “N-no.”

“Your hands are shaking.” Yuki comments dryly.

“N-no they’re not.”

Yuki gives him an unimpressed look before placing a hand on his wrist. “Hey. It’s auditions for the summer troupe, not the courthouse. Remember, I’m auditioning with you, right? You’re not alone.”

_ I won’t let you go in there alone. _

“... Thanks, Yuki,” Muku says softly, relaxing slightly. “I shouldn’t really worry, knowing you’re coming in there with me.”

Yuki gives him a small smile before adjusting the beret on his head. “Besides. Nobody knows it’s us when we look like this, after all.”

‘This’ referred to their attire. Yuki was wearing the white and pink ensemble he’d designed some time ago and finished only recently, topped with a pink beret with a small white cat charm and brown ribbons. Pink being his signature color before he’d become the Black Raven of St. Flora, unless someone had known him prior to that they wouldn’t have known it was him standing there with Muku.

Muku picks at Juza’s hand-me-down jacket, tied around his waist. “My hands are still bandaged though.”

“Like anyone will notice when you have droopy sleeves like that, anyway,” Yuki pulls on his sweater’s loose sleeve slightly. “You look a lot softer, you know. Without the sugar demon’s hand me down on your shoulders.”

Muku blinks at him. “You think so?”

“I know so.”

“You look softer too,” Muku notes quietly, tugging lightly on the tricolor ribbon Yuki had tied around his neck. “But I guess that’s always been your thing, huh? Soft, but hiding something sharp, silk hiding steel, just like Lady Hikari in  _ Fans of Flames  _ issue twenty seven-”

Yuki lightly bumps his head against Muku’s again. “We’re going to be late.”

“Aah-! You’re right, you’re right, sorry…”

When they peek inside the theater, there’s already quite the commotion going on. At first glance Muku’s able to pick out the director and Matsukawa, as well as Tsuzuru - mainly because he seemed to be arguing with a boy with a blue jacket draped over his shoulders and another person, an orange haired boy. The others he recognized from  _ Romeo and Julius _ \- Sakuya, Itaru, Citron, Masumi.

Wait.

“Yuki,” he whispers hastily. “Isn’t that guy familiar?”

“What, the orange haired one?” Yuki says in a bored tone. “Not really. Looks like a total hack, though.”

“Yuki! I think he’s a TV star!”

“Ah, Muku! Yuki!” Izumi’s voice calls out, and the two of them look up. The others all pause in their talking to look up at the both of them as they draw closer. “Glad you two could make it! Cute outfit today, Yuki! Did you make it yourself?”

Yuki nods. “Thought I’d wear it for the first time to auditions.”

“Yukki! You’re the one who made the costumes for  _ Romeo and Julius _ , right?” The one with the blue jacket swings forward excitedly, and almost immediately both Muku and Yuki tense, Yuki shifting a foot backward and Muku shifting his foot in front of Yuki slightly, only slightly covering a part of Yuki’s body with his own.

Itaru clicks his tongue. “Dual guard, +10 to all stats. Inclusive of dual strike attacks as necessary.”

“Literally have no idea what you just said…” Tsuzuru sighs. “Kazunari, back off for a bit. I don’t think they’re the touchy-feely type.”

Kazunari pauses. “Oh, is that- okay! Sorry, sorry~ whatever makes you comfy~” He draws back, prompting their stances to relax, but they don’t change the way their feet are posed as he makes a peace sign. “Just got super excited knowing that I’m talking with the person who made the epic costumes for the play, y’know? They were so crazy awesome!”

“... So extroverted,” is the first thing Yuki says out loud that everyone hears, and when he hears it, Muku tries to stifle the gigglesnort. “We’re going to be auditioning with this guy?”

Sakuya perks up. “Wait, they’re the other two you scouted, Director?”

“Mm-hmm! I was hoping they’d show up,” Izumi smiles at Muku, and Muku’s cheeks color pink as she gestures for them to follow. “Come on, everyone! The auditions will be over at the stage, so if you’ll kindly follow me…”

As the director leads the way, Muku instinctively reaches for Yuki’s hand. Such an action doesn’t escape the eyes of the others, but nobody comments as they head towards the theater proper, where one by one those auditioning climb up onstage, lining up - well. For the most part. Muku notices the orange haired boy linger briefly at the edge.

“Something wrong?” Izumi asks him.

The boy shakes his head, stepping onstage with the rest of them. “It’s nothing.”

Muku nibbles on his lower lip as the orange haired boy goes to take his place on Kazunari’s other side at the far end of the line. There was something about his posture - about his demeanor - that made Muku believe that he had experience.  _ A veteran actor… how can we even compete with that? _

“Alright,” Izumi claps her hands together. “I’ll be starting the auditions with this. Can I please have your names and your theater experience stated one at a time? Yuki, you first.”

Muku watches as Yuki speaks up. “Yuki Rurikawa. Third year, middle school. No theater experience.”

“Younger than me, huh…” The orange haired boy mutters.

Yuki glares sharply at him. “And so? Why does that matter, huh? What’s it to you? Why do you care?”

“Show some respect,” he says, only to flinch back when Yuki quite literally hisses at him. “Oi! Wha-”

“My turn!” Kazunari cuts in, grinning and waving at Izumi. Muku had to admire the speed at which he intervened, making the two shut up briefly to hear his introduction. “Kazunari Miyoshi, second year, university. No theater experience either!”

The orange haired boy clicks his tongue again, but doesn’t say anything. Muku can already  _ feel  _ Yuki bristling next to him, so he knocks his wrist gently against Yuki’s. At his touch, Yuki seems to relax, but only by a hair, muttering a ‘sorry’ as Izumi focuses her attention on Muku. She makes a hand gesture as if to say ‘go on’.

“Ah… um. Muku Sakisaka. Third year, middle school.” Muku fiddles with the edges of his sleeves nervously. It’s strange, really - the last time he’d felt so  _ nervous  _ about anything was when they’d first met the spring troupe for costume measurements. “No theater experience either.”

“All amateurs, huh,” sighs the final boy in the lineup. “I already introduced myself earlier, so does that mean we can get on to the actual auditions?”

Izumi shakes her head. “You introduced yourself to everyone earlier, but Muku and Yuki came later. Plus, I want to hear about your theater experience as well. Please, humor me?”

“...” The boy sighs. “Tenma Sumeragi. Second year, high school. Fifteen years as an actor… no stage experience.”

Izumi blinks at him. “Not even once?”

“I mainly act in movies, that’s why.”

_ So I was right, he  _ **_was_ ** _ an actor. The Sumeragis…  _ Muku had seen them before in the credits sections of movies and in promotional trailers. Both Sumeragis were famous movie stars - and it seemed like their son was about to follow in their footsteps with how things were going. He gives Tenma a glance, and is startled to see that Tenma’s also looking at him when they meet gazes.

Tenma’s the first to look away, making Muku wonder.  _ Why was he looking at me…? _

“Okay, now that introductions are done, I’d like all of you to do an exercise, if that’s alright?” Izumi asks. At their nods, she smiles. “Please say ‘good morning’ with four different emotions. Yuki, you’re first!”

Muku watches as Yuki inhales and exhales softly.

“Good morning! Good morning. Good morning… good morning~!”

_ Even if you didn’t really want to audition at first, you’re really giving it a good try, huh, Yuki? _

“Like something out of a school play…” Tenma grumbles, prompting Yuki to bristle again.

Muku barely manages to catch Yuki by the wrist as Yuki hisses, “I’ve had about enough of your stupid nitpicking you-”

“Tenma, this is an audition. Keep your comments to yourself, okay? And Yuki, pull back. Control your temper.” Izumi sternly reprimands. At the command, Tenma only harrumphs and crosses his arms while Yuki looks away from him, irritated. “Kazunari, you’re next!”

Kazunari beams before schooling his expression. “Good morning! Good. Mor. Ning. G’morning… MORN~!”

“Looks good!” Citron comments from the audience.

“If this is what passes as ‘good’, I hate to see what’s  _ terrible _ ,” Tenma says in passing.

Muku immediately laces his fingers with Yuki’s, squeezing his hand.  _ Don’t, Yuki. Don’t- _

“Annoying.” Yuki scoffs.

Tenma glares at him. “You say something?”

“No. You’re going nuts, useless actor.”

“HA?!”

“Tenma! Yuki!” Izumi says sternly. Muku wonders what she’s thinking about as she schools her expression into a much more pleasant one, facing him. “Okay, Muku. You’re up next.”

_ My turn, huh…  _ Muku swallows harshly, forcing the lump in his throat down. The words are stuck in his throat.

“Muku?” Izumi asks in concern.

Muku bites his lip, inhaling sharply, before exhaling.  _ I can do this. _ “G-good morning! Good morning… good- good morning~!” He hesitates on the last one.  _ Anger… I didn’t do anger yet. _

“You don’t have to do a fourth if you-”

“ _ Good morning, _ ” Muku says in a low, threatening voice, prompting everyone except Yuki to stare at him. The voice he’d used was something he wasn’t very fond of using often, if at all - people called it the ‘delinquent prince voice’. Yuki called it his ‘the main love interest died and now I’m upset’ voice. “... Is that alright?”

Izumi beams. “Yes, of course! Thank you Muku! That was good.”

“So I was right, he’s a delinquent…”

“You got something to say, hack?” Yuki snaps, whirling on his heel to face Tenma at the sound of his mutterings. “Say it to our faces!”

“Who did you just call a hack?!”

“Oh, obviously I’m referring to the stage lights up above us. I mean  _ you,  _ jackass,” Yuki bites. “All you’ve done is comment and comment on everyone else’s auditions the whole time. What kind of good-for-nothing actor does that?”

“What was that?!”

“Stop it already,” Muku says, pulling on Yuki’s hand, but for once Yuki doesn’t budge, glaring daggers into Tenma. “Yuki-”

“AHEM!” They all stop at Izumi’s voice. “Tenma, you’re last. Yuki, Muku, back in line.”

“Better knock it out of the park after all that smack talk, useless actor,” Yuki drawls snippily. Muku doesn’t think he’s  _ ever  _ seen Yuki’s feathers so  _ ruffled  _ before. “Go on. Get it over with-”

Yuki’s words die in his throat, his eyes widening. Muku doesn’t blame him in the slightest, because he and Kazunari are staring too as Tenma’s entire bearing changes while he delivers the four ‘good morning’s. Despite the pit in his stomach, he’s genuinely in awe to see a professional up close.  _ Tenma… now he’s a prince, isn’t he? A handsome, sparkling prince loved by all _

_ … Nothing like me. _

“Alright! That was great!” Izumi claps her hands. “Challenge over, everyone!”

“Over already?” Tenma asks, befuddled.

Yuki blinks at her. “Results?”

“You all passed!” Izumi beams.

Silence. And then, an uproar.

“Huh?! What do you mean I have to do it with these low-level people?!” Tenma complains.

Yuki growls and stomps his foot. Muku’s glad he’s not wearing one of his stilettos today. “How far are you overestimating yourself, you piece-of-junk actor?!”

“Why the  _ hell  _ are you calling me a piece-of-junk actor you-” Tenma would have stormed over to butt heads with Yuki himself, but before he’s able to do so Muku visibly blocks the way, schooling his face into an intimidating expression. This expression was one the people at St. Flora recognized as his ‘angry’ expression… even if he wasn’t angry.

“Back. Off.” Muku says in the same low voice he’d used earlier.  _ This feels like the confrontation between Riddlemaster Hart and the Knave of Spades in Wondercrush…! But does that make me the knave? _ “Read the atmosphere.”

Tenma bristles, but ultimately turns away, only to yelp as Kazunari throws an arm over his shoulders. “Wh-!”

“Let’s all get along, everyone!” Kazunari cheers, making a peace sign with his other hand. The enthusiasm is infectious, prompting Muku to smile, but when he looks at Yuki he’s still frowning.

_ You okay?  _ He asks with his eyes.

Yuki sighs a long-suffering sigh, but when he meets Muku’s eyes, his gaze is softer. His mouth is still set in a frown, but his eyes are smiling now. That was good, Muku thinks. **_It’s fine. We’re going to have to work with those two, huh?_** His eyes glance over at Kazunari and Tenma.

_ I think it’ll be interesting,  _ Muku lets a grin tug on the corner of his mouth as Kazunari somehow ropes Tenma into signing ten autographs for his friends.  _ They don’t know who we are. We… we can stop being the Delinquent Prince and the Black Raven here. Right? _

**_… Wishful thinking, but… you’ve always been the dreamer, wonder boy,_** Yuki’s eyes tell him. **_So we’re going to act like we’re not those things here, is that what you’re saying?_**

_ … They don’t need to know,  _ Muku shakes his head.  _ We… we can just be Muku and Yuki here, right? _

**_So we’ll be acting as actors. We must be the greatest act this world has ever seen, wonder boy._ **

“Hey hey, the two of you are having quite the intense conversation there, huh~? Gonna share with the class or is it a private convo?”

Muku and Yuki pause their quiet conversation to look at Kazunari, who smiles at them. It’s Muku who first speaks up, however, smiling awkwardly back. He hopes it’s not a scary smile. “It’s nothing. Um…” He glances at Yuki, who only shrugs, before bowing to Kazunari slightly. “Miyoshi… Sumeragi… director-” He bows to Izumi too. “- please take care of us.”

“You can just call me Kazu, Mukkun!” Kazunari holds out a hand. “And glad to be with you on the same troupe too~! Let’s work hard!”

Muku hesitates, but when Yuki squeezes his hand, he’s encouraged to let go and shake Kazunari’s hand. “... Yeah.”

The first hand he’s taken into his that wasn’t Yuki’s in a long while.

* * *

When the topic of roommates is brought up, Kazunari immediately flocks over to Yuki. As Muku predicts, Yuki shuts him down faster than he can roundhouse kick someone with his stiletto heels. Before he can even  _ begin  _ to process it, however, Kazunari flits over to him next.

“Hey, since Yukki turned me down, can we be roommates instead Mukkun?”

“Ah- um…” Well. “Me?”

“Mm-hm!” Kazunari nods.

“... Sorry,” Muku ducks his head apologetically. “But I want to room with Yuki.”

“Eh?! Well, that’s fine, that’s fine, you’re friends, after all~!” Kazunari turns to Tenma. “Then, will you-”

Tenma says immediately, “I want my own room. I’ll take Room 203.”

“Awww, Tenten!”

“Tenten?!”

_ “Not a good idea to choose Room 203…”  _ A gloomy voice says behind them all, prompting Tenma to shriek and nearly jump in Muku’s arms. Thankfully enough, he  _ doesn’t.  _ The voice, as it turned out, belonged to Matsukawa, who shudders. “The Mankai Company’s Seven Mysteries… one of them is Room 203… they say that there are noises coming from that room even when it hasn’t been touched in  _ years… _ ”

“A ghost?” Muku wonders out loud.

Tenma immediately pipes up. “You know what? Miyoshi? Let’s switch rooms.”

“What, don’t tell me you’re scared?” Yuki asks Tenma. “You said you’re taking Room 203, alone, aren’t you?”

If Muku didn’t know any better, he’d have said Tenma’s hair was fluffing up like cat’s fur in indignation. “I’m not scared! I didn’t say anything like that! And I changed my mind. I want to switch with Miyoshi.”

“Tenteeeen, just room with me then!”

“But-!”

“If you’re all so scared, we should just check the room,” Izumi suggests, scratching her cheek. “Besides, it’s a whole room. We need to check it anyway for whether or not it really is unusable. If it’s usable, Tenma, as you wish, you can have that room until we have new members.”

“Urk…”

* * *

As it turned out, Misumi Ikaruga was  _ not _ a ghost.

(Not that Tenma had listened for a good ten minutes, screaming and clinging like a koala to both Yuki and Muku at the same time, who had been the closest people to him at the time. Yuki looked like he was about to bite Tenma’s arm the whole time while poor Muku nearly got strangled by Tenma’s chokehold.)

Misumi was, however, eventually brought into the reborn summer troupe along with the rest of them, much to everyone’s surprise. Or not surprise, considering the amount of acrobatic skill he’d shown off when they’d tried to chase him around the dorms. Tenma had still refused to room with him, however, so he’d ended up rooming with Kazunari instead.

“They’re interesting, aren’t they?” Muku asks Yuki the next school day on their way home from St. Flora - home being the Mankai dorms now. In St. Flora’s school uniforms, they almost seemed like every other student… except for the dangling feather earrings that had become Yuki’s trademark to wear during dismissal and the fresh bandages plastered on Muku’s cheeks. He’d ‘accidentally’ been shoved against a wall during break. Nothing big.

Maybe he should be more concerned that this was his normal by this point.

“Who are?”

“The others, back at the dorms. You know, the summer troupe we’re a part of now.” Nobody batted an eye whenever they walked home together - because they always had their eyes wide open and on the alert whenever they were around. “Tenma, Misumi, Kazunari.”

Yuki’s voice scoffs at Tenma’s name. “Noisy, more like. They’re so _peppy_. Not energetic like Energy Concentrate, but like…”

“... there’s always excitement when they’re around,” Muku tries to guess. At Yuki’s harrumph, he assumes he’s correct. “You talk like we don’t have our own kind of excitement.”

“I don’t  _ like  _ the kind of excitement we have,” Yuki says, and when his hand ghosts the bandages on his cheek he understands, a pang in his chest leaving him slightly breathless.

“Well… maybe you’ll like their excitement better.”

“Doubt it. I’d rather things be quiet. Just us, low energy.”

That’s partially a lie.

They’re not lonely when they’re together - it’s always been the two of them, after all, ever since they’d officially met. But he knows that outside of him, Yuki too was lonely, just like he was. Being together was an escape from that loneliness that the world had imposed on them… but they couldn’t always be together all the time.

They could pretend all they want this wasn’t true, but...

“...” Muku holds his hand, and Yuki squeezes his hand on instinct. His voice is a soft murmur as they walk. “Maybe it won’t be so bad, you know. They seem like good people, just like the director.”

The director. They both agreed Director Tachibana was a kind, good person.

Yuki lets out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. “That’s the thing. They seem like good people now, but we just met them. We don’t know for sure yet. And until then…”

**_We can’t trust like that anymore, Muku,_ ** goes unsaid. But Muku hears it loud and clear.

_ It’s okay. I get it. _

But in his heart, there is a tiny, tiny part of him, the Muku from times long past, that wishes they could trust like that again.

* * *

The first time they’re asked to do an etude with the others should’ve gone by easily. He’d done it fine enough with Yuki - an awkward, but palatable etude about two high school girls unsure of where to hang out for the afternoon. Kazunari and Misumi, and Misumi and Tenma had done really good etudes as well.

And then-

“Muku, come over here please. Tenma, stay for another one?”

Tenma shrugs as Muku takes Misumi’s place in the middle of the training room, standing across from him. He’s not sure what kind of etude he’d be made to perform with Tenma, but he hopes that it’ll be an easy one.

Izumi claps her hands together. “Start!”

Immediately, Muku feels Tenma’s gaze on him, a knife cutting right through him. He looks up and nearly staggers back at the venom in Tenma’s gaze, a devil-may-care grin on his face. Something about it makes Muku’s stomach churn, even though he knows this is just Tenma exercising his seniority in acting. Maybe it’s the nerves - nerves knowing that he’s an absolute newbie compared to Tenma in terms of acting.

(Unless you counted him and Yuki keeping up the whole ‘delinquents’ thing to protect themselves and each other. But that’s another story.)

“So the punk’s finally alone,” Tenma drawls. “‘Bout time. I was looking for a little thrill today.”

Muku’s blood freezes over like ice. He thinks Yuki’s speaking, but he might also not be. All Muku hears is Tenma’s voice, and the roar of blood in his ears. His voice comes out shaky, but stern. “I thought I already said leave me alone. D-don’t you have better things to do?”

“What’s better than finally giving someone what they deserve?” Tenma saunters over closer to Muku, looming over him, and the roar in his ears grows louder. This scenario- it’s too familiar, too close for comfort, too much like something he knows-

Tenma lightly grabs the front of his practice jacket like he’d grabbed Misumi’s hoodie, pulling him closer. “I’ve been waiting a long time to do this. Why don’t you fight back, huh?”

“I-”  _ Breathe. Muku. Focus. Breathe. Don’t- don’t think about it. Don’t think about them. This is Tenma. He’s your troupemate. You’re doing an etude with Tenma right now, etude are for acting impromptu scenarios, it’s completely random, don’t think about- _

**_slammed against the back wall of st. flora caught couldn’t run cornered laughing at me beating up juchan fist to face to bruise to bone kyuchan don’t look kick to stomach scar on face on arm on leg tatters and pain and blood and aching and defenseless can’t fight teach me juchan please i’m tired don’t touch me don’t hurt me i didn’t do anything punch kick slammed against the wall laughter and mocking and enough enough enough ENOUGH-_ **

“Let GO OF ME!”

Muku shoves that good-for-nothing Junpei off of him, his pupils nothing more than dots, his breath labored and heavy and his chest tight, breaths rattling through his body as the blood roars in his ears, blocking out all the sound, and-

He grabs onto his tie- no, there’s no tie, he’s not wearing his St. Flora uniform, he’s- he’s wearing his practice outfit? Why was he- he was in the practice room of- Mankai? He was in the practice room? Why was he-

“Muku?”

The voice is faint against the buzz in his ears, but he’d recognize Yuki’s voice anywhere. Yuki- Yuki was here- Yuki- Yuki shouldn’t be here, they’d hurt him too- Yuki- Yuki- he had to-

“Muku,” comes Yuki’s voice, clearer this time. “Muku, you’re here. In Mankai.”

“What’s happening?” Someone asks. Muku doesn’t recognize the voice, it’s garbled, it’s strange.

Another voice, also garbled, answers back. “Yukki- Yukki, does Mukkun need us to leave? We can leave-”

“What’s going on?”

“Tenten, I think we need to leave-”

Tenten? Tenten, who’s- Tenten-  _ Tenma,  _ he remembers faintly. Tenma… Sumeragi. Summer troupe. Summer troupe.

“Look at me, Muku.”

He tries to follow Yuki’s voice. He can’t find him - but he doesn’t have to, when it’s Yuki’s hand that finds him. Yuki’s hand is stable. Yuki’s hand is constant. His own are shaking so hard that if he’d had maracas in his grip they’d be violently rattling by now. Yuki’s hand is familiar, comforting, grounding him.

“I’m here,” Yuki says quietly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Things are still mostly out of focus. But he sees Yuki. Cool, strong Yuki. Cool, levelheaded Yuki, who didn’t have to stay by the side of someone like him, but did. Beautiful, beautiful Yuki who decided he was worth his time even though he was weak, and tainted, and good for nothing.

“You hear me?”

He thinks he nods.

“Okay. I’m moving you back to our room. You’re going to have to help me out, though. You can walk, so just follow where I lead.”

Yuki doesn’t let go of his hand as they walk. They ascend the stairs slowly, slowly, slowly, until they’re back in Room 201. He faintly hears the door shut behind him when Yuki reaches out behind him to close it, and slowly, slowly, Yuki pulls him down to the ground, to the soft rug from Yuki’s bedroom that Muku’s fallen asleep on more than twice while doing homework with him at the Rurikawa house. He remembers that Yuki had brought it over for their room in the dorms for a place for them to sit on whenever doing homework together. Also because it was cute.

Muku’s so tired.

The buzzing in his ears is fading now, the roar of blood ebbing away. Muku can hear better now, see clearer now. He can see Yuki better now, see their room. His thoughts are clearer, but his chest is still heavy, his eyes wet.

His heart hurts. So badly.

He just wants to sleep.

Yuki doesn’t say anything when he decides to slowly, tiredly, sink down to the floor and rest his head on his lap, heart aching, entire body exhausted, eyes still wet with tears. All he does is card his fingers through Muku’s hair gently as he drifts off into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

When he wakes again, it’s already morning.

Yuki’s asleep on his side of the room, breathing soundly under the sheets. Muku, somehow, is tucked into his own bed, even though he vaguely remembers having fallen asleep on the floor instead. Slowly he climbs down the ladder of his bed, careful not to make a sound, before looking at the clock.

8AM… hadn’t it just been 7PM when he’d fallen asleep?

He exits the bedroom. It’s a cold morning, and for a moment he shivers as he heads downstairs towards the kitchen.

“Sakisaka?”

Muku freezes. And then, he turns around.

Tenma’s staring at him from his room’s open door - the actor had apparently woken up early as well, judging from how he was dressed for morning practice. There is a strange look on his face that Muku can’t decipher from where he’s standing, but as he draws closer he’s able to recognize it as something akin to worry. Or constipation. He’s not sure.

He doesn’t know Tenma well enough to be sure.

“... You alright now?” Tenma asks awkwardly.

Muku rubs his arm. “... Mm.... sorry. About. Yesterday, I mean. I-I didn’t mean to- that is- I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He bows his head slightly, unable to meet his gaze.

“You apologize a lot, huh…” Tenma mutters, scratching his cheek. “Look…”

Muku glances up at him, and is startled to see Tenma himself bowing low to him. “E-eh?! Tenma-?”

“I… I said too much yesterday. During our etude. I don’t know what happened, but I said something, Kazunari told me.” Tenma says. To Muku, it sounds like he’s straining a little to get the words out, but they’re genuine.

As Tenma straightens up again, Muku’s hand lingers on his wrist, rubbing the bandages wrapped around his hands. He doesn’t think Kazunari or Tenma really knows the extent of what had happened - Yuki would never have told them - , but… he appreciates the attempt at an apology. “I-It’s okay, Tenma. I’m fine now.”

“...” Tenma squints at him, and Muku tenses again, only to blink in surprise as the older boy sighs and says, “... Let’s go get breakfast then. Rurikawa still asleep?”

_ Huh? _

“I- um. Yeah.” Muku nods, unable to do much else. He follows after Tenma, still rubbing his wrist in confusion. “Um. Tenma?”

“Mm?”

“... Nevermind.”

Tenma glances back at him strangely as they cross over to the dining area, but he doesn’t say anything as they greet Izumi at the kitchen, already making curry for breakfast. They wait at the table for a few minutes in silence.

At least, until Tenma remembers something.

“Ah, since you were asleep last night,” Tenma recalls. “It was decided I was going to be the leader of the summer troupe as the one with most experience.”

Muku nods. That seemed fair enough to him. “O-okay. Did… anything else happen?”

“Tsuzuru came by and discussed who would want to be lead for our flagship play.”

“A-ah, I missed that?!” So much for volunteering to be the lead prince…  _ but then again, I’m just a little beetle to be crushed underfoot after all, compared to Tenma, who’s got fifteen years of experience when it comes to acting, while I’ve got only two to three years experience of being a good-for-nothing- _

Tenma snaps his fingers in front of Muku, prompting Muku to jump and automatically hold his wrist in a vice grip. The sudden action startles Tenma, who freezes at the sudden hold for a few moments before he protests, “Oi!”

“A-AH! I’m sorry!” Muku lets go of Tenma, who rubs his wrist ruefully as Muku shrinks back in his seat. “I just- sorry. I’m sorry. I reacted on instinct, I’m so sorry-”

“Why do you keep saying sorry?!” Tenma asks him, irritation lacing his tone briefly. “You literally didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I grabbed your wrist so suddenly though- it’s no excuse, even if I was caught off guard-”

“I don’t care about that. It was only for a short while.” Tenma sighs, cradling his cheek with a palm. “You’re weird, Sakisaka.”

“... Huh?”

“You’re weird,” Tenma repeats. “You’re all soft and stammering, but you’re strong. Really strong. And those bandages… how often do you even get hurt that you have to wrap them up like that?”

Muku looks at his bandaged hands. He’d probably have to change them later with Yuki’s help. “Ah… aha… mm… I’m very clumsy, that’s all.”

Lying again… what a terrible person he was, to lie about this to his troupe leader. But it was necessary - Tenma… he didn’t have to know. Didn’t have to know how he and Yuki had to think of ways to reduce damage to their bodies in such ways. Didn’t have to know the troubles he and Yuki had, didn’t have to be bothered with such trivial things. An actor like him probably had so many other things to worry about in his life other than an insignificant flea like himself.

Tenma looks at him after he says that. His expression, very clearly, read ‘bullshit’.

Muku in that moment thinks Tenma’s very much like Yuki in that sense. Yuki always called him out on his ‘bullshit’ whenever he even so much as dared tried to downplay any injuries he couldn’t see on sight. It’s a funny little thought that Muku tucks away for later as Tenma drums his fingers on the table.

“If you won’t share, fine. As long as it doesn’t hinder the troupe,” Tenma warns. “Anyway, like I said. Tsuzuru discussed who would be the lead for the play.”

“... And the verdict?”

“All of us.”

Muku chokes on his spit. “H-huh?!”

“Kazunari and Misumi volunteered, as did I. Rurikawa, I think, would have done the same. Were you planning on being lead too? No, don’t answer that, you probably did. You’re full of surprises.” Tenma mutters to himself for a bit before continuing. “Tsuzuru, the scriptwriter, said that we’d all be leads, and to leave the script up to him.”

“S-so then…”

“We just wait. Practice, and wait until he’s done. Speaking of which, we didn’t start today because you and Rurikawa weren’t around for it and the director said you were probably tired, but starting tomorrow we’ll be doing morning and evening practices, as well as stretches and exercises, physical and vocal.”

Muku nibbles on his lower lip thoughtfully. That made sense, he thinks. They were all rookies save for Tenma, so they needed to do some training. Briefly the idea of physical exercises makes him long for the track again, but those thoughts are immediately crushed by the feeling of impending doom.

Impending doom, that is, in the form of Mankai Company being disbanded if the summer troupe’s finale night didn’t sell out.

The thought makes Muku shiver as Izumi tells them both that the food is ready.

* * *

Training is intense, for the most part. The director had set their morning schedules for five in the morning wakeup call in order to warm up for a bit before jogging for about an hour and then going to do vocal exercises together. This goes on for about three days before Tsuzuru staggers into the living room at 7pm after dinner and promptly passes out, the script in his hands.

“ _ Water Me!  _ ‘We need water’...?” Yuki murmurs, frown on his face.

Tsuzuru smiles tiredly. Apparently, he’d neglected himself for an entire  _ week  _ writing that script. Worrying. “In order to have all of you play a lead role, I thought about adapting some stories from the Arabian Nights. Tenma, you’re the main lead Ali Baba. Scheherazade, the princess and your co-lead, will be played by Yuki.”

“... I’ll have to think of how to design jewelry that won’t rip and tear at organdy fabric when I move,” Yuki muses thoughtfully. “Her costume… it’ll be interesting to work on it. Synthetic gems and golden accessories will be key...”

“Kazunari will be playing Aladdin, Misumi will be playing the genie of the lamp, and for Sinbad, that role goes to Muku.”

Muku’s eyes glitter. Unconsciously he fiddles with the edge of his sleeves again, but this time he’s smiling. “Sinbad… yeah, that’s a good one. He’s a heroic sort of person.”

“Not really a prince, but that works too, doesn’t it?” Yuki comments.

Muku nods eagerly.

Tsuzuru’s eyes light up. “Ah- you want to be a prince, Muku?”

“U-um!” Muku swallows harshly when the others all look at him suddenly. “I- uhm.” He casts his gaze to the floor. “... yeah… but Sinbad is good too! Sinbad’s good!”

Tsuzuru smiles at him kindly. “If summer troupe manages to get through closing night safely… then I’ll be thinking about what kind of play to write for you one day that has you as a prince. Is that okay?”

“You don’t have to-!”

“And it’s ‘when’ summer troupe gets through closing night,” Tenma interrupts seriously, directing attention to him instead. Muku breathes a quiet sigh of relief when the attention is taken off of him again.”We’re going to-”

“A popular role! Totally epic, Tsuzuroon~!”

“Don’t call me Tsuzuroon.”

“OI! I was talking here!”

“Can the genie be triangular? That’d be really nice~!”

“So lively…” Yuki mutters. Muku only giggles softly at him as Yuki looks to Izumi again, kneading his thighs with his fists. “So wait, I’ll be in charge of the costumes, right?”

At Izumi’s nod, Muku witnesses a smile cross Yuki’s face - one that makes Tenma stare and Kazunari coo over him. “Great. Muku, I’ll be needing your help again with these costumes. We’re going to go shopping for materials tomorrow or the day after, okay?”

Muku gives him a smile and a nod. “Of course I’ll help.”

“And I’ll be in charge of the visual design!” Kazunari makes a peace sign. “Let’s make this play unforgettable, everyone~!”

“But is it really okay to just do all of this ourselves…?” Tenma wonders out loud, arms crossed with a frown on his face. Nobody seems to really hear him though, too caught up in the excitement of designing costumes and visuals for the play. Even Yuki, who was wary of trusting someone else again, was already rattling off ideas with a peppy Kazunari and coordinating for  _ Water Me!  _ regarding the costumes.

Nobody, that is, save for Muku, who only watches Tenma carefully while he toys with the bandages on his hands.


End file.
